Need help writing
essays like this one?

British Approach to the Regulation of Abortion

# of Words: 607

With current advances in genetics, there are inherited disorders which can now
be diagnosed with a molecular level. For couples that are carriers or influenced
by one of these conditions and therefore are at risk for carrying it to their
offspring, it's currently possible to detect the disorder during pregnancy. This
is done by one of two methods: amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (which
involves taking a tiny sample of the placenta for an early stage).

No matter how the couples have the dilemma of whether or not to terminate the pregnancy if the genetic abnormality is present. In some cases this may not be a feasible option for religious or ethical reasons.

An option would then be to diagnose the condition from embryos before the pregnancy is established. Only the untouched embryos would then be moved to the uterus. This technique is referred to as preimplantation genetic analysis and would indicate the need and hence prevent the psychological and bodily trauma associated with possible termination. Research towards developing methods for early genetic analysis in individuals had been pioneered in the UK from the late 1980 (Handyside et al, 89,. Lancet.347. And Dokras et al, 90, Hum Reprod, 5.821.) . In vitro fertilization (IVF) methods are used to acquire ova (eggs) from the mother which are then fertilized in the laboratory with sperm obtained from the father.

One or more cells are then eliminated from the developing embryo 2 to 4 days after fertilization. This highly complex technique known as micromanipulation does not adversely affect further development of the embryo. The cells eliminated are then employed for evaluation, and the results can be gotten within 12-24 hours. The embryos without the hereditary flaws are then moved into the uterine cavity to develop into a pregnancy. Virtually all genetically inherited conditions that are identified with the prenatal period may be detected at the preimplantation period. In the 8 cell stage, each cell of the embryo is still totipotent (each cell has the capacity of forming an entire new organism).

Thus, one cell can be removed for genetic testing without altering the development of the rest of the organism. Diseases which have a high risk of transmission (25-50%) and are usually associated with significant morbidity and mortality may be screened due to this procedure. The first report of the successful application of this technique originated from the Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK which currently is the center with the maximum number of births following preimplantation diagnosis. Whatever your personal opinion, there is very little doubt that the procedure should considerably increase the chances of calling which embryos are very likely to result in a successful birth with much greater accuracy and effectively this technique is really a huge step forward for IVF as it usually means that doctors can now weed out issue embryos before a woman becomes pregnant.

The UK legislation means that difficulty embryos in certain conditions can now be discarded, and only individuals with a prospect of success implanted into the woman's womb. But this system is far from perfect, and up to 50% of embryos that look normal under a microscope in fact contain flaws in their genetic material. Personally, I believe that in Ireland we need a panel consisting of bioethicists, sociologists, physicians, basic scientists and professionals from public policy to re-examine the sensitive issues surrounding reproductive medicine and embryo research, and then make recommendations about the areas of science and medicine on which the Government must legislate. I also personally believe that the human embryo is both valuable and deserving of the profound respect because of its potential and both its existence and status shold rest from the ethical belief of the couple.

Related Papers

An Introduction in Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Abortions Performed in the United States since 1973

Abortion is defined as the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to finish a pregnancy; any of different surgical techniques for terminating a pregnancy, particularly during the initial six months. This specialized definition, though, does not begin to touch on the profound emotional and moral aspects connected with abortion, particularly in the last few years. Abortion has a long and controversial history in the USA. Back in 1973 the Supreme Court ruled in favour of voluntary......Read More

Abortion: Women Need a Choice

History proves that abortion has always been a controversial issue. Although it has been practiced for decades, it has never been universally accepted as an option for dealing with an unwanted pregnancy. The majority of people are in relation to it for ethical reasons, and this opposition has always widespread and not been limited to particular religions or time periods in history. Abortion from the 19th century was no exception, and Christian women, Native Americans, and individuals from all......Read More

Abortion Is Murder

I am struck in the lack of substantive issues being put forth in the debates and on the campaign trail. Oh, yes, they may be currently talking about the economy, terrorism and taxation policy. But where is the discussion of politics? The difference is so clear between these two candidates when we examine the core difficulties, Take abortion. McCain is pro-life. Obama isn't only pro-choice (preceding his pay grade) , but would kill a person being born alive on a botched abortion. That's murder.......Read More

How It Works

We have some bad news for you: we are not going to write your essay.
But there are also good news: you are going to save a lot of time and effort!
The essays writing helper is an artificial intelligence based algorithm that emulates the human brain way of thinking. First, it analyzes the context of your topic. Then, it will find the most relevant and quality resources, read them, highlight the main paragraphs and extract ideas and concepts that you can use as your writing starting point. You can use those ideas and concepts to jumpstart your essay writing or simply rephrase and extend them by using our premium services.